An Annoying Revelation
by NiceSprite
Summary: Gray has a revelation. But how does it involve our favorite Celestial Mage? And will he do something about it? Takes place after the Grand Magic Games. GraLu.
1. The revelation he had

_**An Annoying Revelation.**_

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**Summary****:** **Gray has a revelation. Will he do something about it? And how does it involve our favorite Celestial Mage? **_**Takes place after the Grand Magic Games. GraLu.**_

First, I try not to go against the original story and be the less OOC possible. That's why I never pair two characters that don't seem to have any chemistry. So, since this is obviously a fanfiction about Gray and Lucy, I do believe they could be together. After all, Gemini did tell us that Gray was interested in Lucy.

And even if at that point of the story, you can see that Hiro Mashima favors NatsuxLucy and GrayxJuvia, there isn't anything proving that Lucy and Gray can't be together. So, they can still end up together (even if, sadly, I don't think they will in the manga). But hey, that's why fanfictions are for :B

Anyway, whatever happens after I've published this – like Gray accepting Juvia's feelings, or Natsu and Lucy saying theirs out loud – isn't my responsibility. I believe my logic is still good for now and that it could happen.

I'm finished with my rambling, aha. You can go on and read this story. (Maybe you already did, and skipped this part, but if you did, then you wouldn't have read this, so right now I'm writing for literally nobody, so I'll just stop).

**Oh, and of course, I do not own anything related to Fairy Tail. **

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**Chapter 1: The revelation he had.**

So, I might have realized something I shouldn't have realized. Because, now that I've realized it, I can't stop thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure I started acting weird since then.

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That all started with Juvia and Lyon wanting to clear things up between us during the games. They just decided to ask me straight what I thought about the Water mage. Romantically. Ugh, how I wanted to avoid this talk. I'm not stupid, I know how Juvia feels about me. I mean, she's not the most subtle girl out there. At all. Even _Natsu_ know how she feels, and that's something. But I acted casual about it, not really agreeing with her behavior, but not rejecting her either. I know, I'm a jerk. It isn't fair to her. I do feel guilty about it. And Erza lecturing me just made it worse.

So, I decided to think about it. Like, really think about it. Did I feel something about her?

The fact is, I really didn't have a clue. Because, she's been like this since I've met her. Literally. Even if the first time we met, we were enemies and fighting, she acted like that. And then, she joined Fairy Tail, and she acted more and more like that. Claiming Lucy as her rival in love, too. Wonder where she got the idea, though. She hadn't met her before, well she did, but capturing her didn't count. And that's not like I declared my love for Lucy in front of her or anything. But then again, she's Juvia, and after knowing her better, you realize she often jumps to conclusions.

However, what was I saying again? Oh, right. Since she had always been like that, and I always acted like it wasn't a big deal, I didn't know whether it really wasn't one for me. Most of the time, it crept me out, but then I simply got used to it. Used to her shouting "Gray-sama", her making goofy eyes, and her incredible imagination when it came to me and Lucy. But even if I stopped minding these, they didn't make me happy or anything either. It was just another guild member acting really weird, nothing more.

Then, Lyon came in the picture by falling in love with Juvia, and becoming Juvia's, well Juvia. Sometimes I almost prefer him when he was an enemy. Seeing him behaving like this is just too much. But then, was I annoyed merely because he was creepy, or was it because I was jealous?

True, I 'protected' Juvia from him when he wanted to take her in his guild, and said there was no way she'll go anywhere with him. But that was just because, as weird as she can be, she's still my friend, our friend, our guild member; and she obviously didn't want to go. And you do not mess with our guild members. That was all.

After thinking about it, it really wasn't jealousy. I understood her feelings, since Lyon was doing to her the same thing she was doing to me. So, I knew too well how it felt to having someone's feelings forced upon you. And not returning them.

Yeah, I definitely didn't return her feelings. And I should be honest with her. But God it will be hard. I think I avoided thinking about it because I knew too well how it would end: me being a jerk and rejecting her, and her being heartbroken in front of me. And I really can't stand girls being sad or crying in front of me, and most of all, being the reason of it. But now that I'm positive about how I feel, I can't go on and keep the status quo. I have to make it clear to her, so she can move on. Maybe she'll end up with Lyon, who knows. They'll make a perfectly obsessive couple, being all jealous and stuff. That'd be kind of funny, actually.

Anyway, at this point, I still hadn't the revelation that I shouldn't have had. So, how this and the revelation are related? Well, while thinking about Lyon and Juvia becoming a couple, I wondered why she found him so creepy since she was acting exactly like him, and I realized it was because of her feelings for me. That was not a hard guess to make, she was always like "No, I only love Gray-sama!" And then, I wondered why _I_ didn't have feelings for _her_ at all.

I mean, she's hot, and pretty badass in fights, and she can be funny, even if most of the times she doesn't intend to, which also makes her cute. So, why am I not interested in her? Was it merely because we just didn't click, or was it because I had someone else in my mind, too? But if I had, I would know about it, wouldn't I?

So, I started to think about the girls who I could be interested in, even without knowing it. Of course, it would be a girl from Fairy Tail, since I had to be close enough with her to have feelings for her. She would be around my age, too. And I should find her attractive.

The last characteristic didn't really help since most of the girls in Fairy Tail were hot. The ones who finished on my list were Erza, Cana, Mirajane, Lisanna, Levy and Lucy.

Erza's really hot, and she's one of my closest friends. But she's badass, waaay too badass. Wouldn't want to date a girl whom I afraid of. She's more like a bro to me. Well, when she's not wearing some kinky outfit making really clear she's a real girl. Anyway, Erza was out.

Cana, now. She's also hot, and fun to be with. But, she's more like a drinking buddy than girlfriend material to me. And she always beats me at drinking games, obviously. Cana was out too.

Mirajane. Hot, but cute at the same time. She is a model, after all. She's known for being the most beautiful one in our guild, and that's something. She's good to talk to, it's what she does best, when she's not a Demon that is. But I just don't feel anything romantic for her, I'm sure about it. Maybe it's because she's a little bipolar or I don't know, but something stops me from liking her that way. So, I put her out of the list too.

Then, there was Lisanna. Cute as hell and, not like her elder sister, she was always kind, and didn't go bipolar. But I'm not really close with her. She's way more close to Natsu by the way, and she's obviously still in love with him even after all those years. Stupid Natsu who doesn't notice at all. Anyway, she was out too.

Coming then to Levy. Cute, kind, and smart. But I'm not really close to her, either. She's just a good comrade. Also, for some weird reason, she seems to be attracted to Gajeel, and I think it's reciprocal. Didn't see _that_ one coming. I guess opposites attract, huh.

The only one left was Lucy. Even if she's the one I've known for the more little time, she's as important as Erza to me, she's one of my best friends too. Hot while being cute, incredibly funny to be around, and smart but naïve at the same time. She's probably one of the sanest members of our guild, or more like the less weird one. It's good to have someone else who isn't as crazy as the others. How many times did we go "WTF?" while watching our friends, or even enemies do some really crazy things, while the others seemed to find it totally normal. Plus, her place is a really nice place where to hang out. And she's a good writer. And she's easy to tease, which is quite fun, I have to admit.

And then, I went on thinking about good things about her, without really finding something making me put her out of the list. If we still could call it a list, since she was the last name on it.

So, I kept thinking. And, besides her being one of my closest friend and my not wanting to spoil this, nothing came up in my mind that would make me not wanting to be with her.

But then, did not having a reason not to be with her mean wanting to be with her? I still didn't know.

True, when I found out someone was stalking her, I worried like hell and discreetly followed her on her way home. But I would have done that for every other girl in this situation. If Eraz was… No, scratch that, Erza would handle it just fine. But Lucy, I know she's strong too, and could be able to handle some guy, most of all if he's not even a mage, but I was worried. But as a friend. I mean, even if she is strong and all, she doesn't look like she is, so I tend to forget. It was normal to want to protect your friend, right?

Then, even if I don't usually compliment women, I realized I did compliment her for her looks a few times. Because that was what I really thought: she was beautiful in those outfits. Well, she's always beautiful, but sometimes I couldn't help telling her when she wore something new. Why didn't I do that with the other girls? I thought it was because I was used to seeing them like that, I've grown up with them after all, and most girls of our guild just like to put on some attractive outfits. But then, when Juvia had new clothes on and they suited really well, I didn't really pay attention to it. Meanwhile, I noticed when Lucy had one or two ponytails depending the day, or even if her ribbon was red or blue.

And then, it hit me. Hard. And, for some obscure reason, that revelation came to my mind with a freakin' vision of Happy saying "You liiiiiiike her."

And for once, I couldn't disagree with him. I did like her. I liked Lucy. And now, I can't ignore it anymore.

Crap. _Crap_. _**Crap**_.

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**A/N:** Reviews would be highly appreciated. I'd love to know what you liked or didn't like, and get better at this. So, be honest please :)

Also, I'm French, English is not my first language. If I make some big, repetitive or annoying mistakes, let me know (:


	2. How he deals with it

First, thanks for the reviews and for taking time to let me know about the good and bad things :)

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_**DarKxKunoichi**_: Oh, a friend o/ : I'm not a fan of stories like that either x) I'm not into AU stories in general (I mean, if I want a normal high school romance, I watch normal high school animes aha) and, even though I ship GraLu, I love Natsu and Juvia, so I don't like to see them as the "wrong guys." And even if I hated them, it is just impossible for them to be bad. Like I said, I don't like being OOC, and that's like the most OOC you could be. Sorry, I'll stop my ranting here ^^'

And thank you, I always forget the difference, I'll remember now that you clearly explained it to me (:

_**Portaphyro**_: Aha don't worry, I didn't take it the wrong way. ^^ I'm happy, that means it isn't hard to read, even though there is no dialogue in the first chapter. Hope you'll like this one too (:

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**Of course, I still don't own anything related to Fairy Tail, and will never do. **

And now, here's the 2nd chapter. Hope you'll enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: How he deals with it.**

It's been over a month since I had this damn revelation. And gosh, this is tiring to know that.

First, I panicked every time I saw her. I tried to hide it, and I think I did a pretty good job at it, but I'm sure some members have noticed. Thankfully, I don't think _she_ noticed. She must know something's off with me, because she usually knows, but not the reason why. She didn't ask me, either.

Then, I calmed down and was able to be normal around her again, but only if we weren't alone. I always avoided being alone with her, but it still happened once or twice, and it was awkward. I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked, and how cute her smile was, and how pretty her eyes were… Ok, I really have to stop. I'm becoming a lovesick puppy, and that is not me. Anyway, I had all those thoughts, and couldn't say a word to her, and if she talked to me, I wouldn't hear her because I was spacing out. And then, one of our friends would finally join us and end my misery.

I'm tired of not being able to be myself again around her. I'm tired of trying not to let her know how I feel. And to top it all, I'm tired of being freakin' jealous of that Firehead when he hugs her, and carries her around, and does all those things that now make me feel jealous. Me, jealous of that idiot. I can't take it anymore. Seriously, why?

Why did I have to think about it and find out that I was in love with one of my best friends? My life was much simpler when I only thought I found her really attractive. Because, let's be real, she's hot – there's no denying it – but finding her hot and loving her are two completely different things.

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By the way, I had _the talk_ with Juvia. It had been a little tiring, too.

_Here goes the flashback:_

"So, Juvia, you know… About the thing you asked me last time…" I began, stuttering.

"What thing?" She asked me, oblivious, while making me goofy eyes. Gosh, I hated myself right then.

"You know… About making things clear and all…" I was not good at this. All I could do was stutter and awkwardly scratch the back of my head while looking away.

"Oh. OH!" She finally realized what I was talking about. She blushed furiously. "So, what about it?" She asked shyly, clearly hoping it would be a positive answer.

I so did not want to do that. "Hum, you see, you're a really good friend to me, and even though I do find you attractive –"

"Oh, Gray-samaa" She shrieked, happy I complimented her. She didn't even let me finish my sentence and was already celebrating. "He said I'm attractive. I knew Gray-sama wouldn't resist long and finally realize his feelings for Juvia..." And she went on like this until I stopped her.

"JUVIA!" I finally shouted. For once, she stopped her loud fantasies and looked at me.

"Gray…sama?" She seemed lost. It was the first time I yelled at her like this. But it was necessary; she had to realize how serious I was.

I grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, "I'm dead serious here, so please listen," I started, "I do not see you like that. I cannot return your feelings, I'm really sorry. I should've realized it sooner."

First, she stared at me, bewildered. Then, it hit her. She suddenly kneeled and burst in tears, crying loudly. "Gray-sama rejected Juvia! Gray-sama doesn't love Juvia! What Juvia will do now? Juvia is saaad!" I tried to comfort her, but as soon as I said or did something, she'd cry even louder. So, I waited quietly until she calmed down. Which took a long time, since she had plenty of water to refill her tears.

Finally, she stopped, wept her eyes and stood up. "Okay, Juvia is fine now." I think she was more trying to convince herself that anything.

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say.

She looked up, and smiled, even if it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't be. I'm glad you've been honest with me. I'm sorry for all I did, that must have been inconvenient to you."

_Oh no, don't apologize, I'm feeling guilty enough like that._ "Don't say that. I'm the jerk here."

"Oh no no no! Gray-sama, I'm just happy to know you see me as a friend. Of course, I would have preferred to be with you romantically, and go on dates with you, and k–" She stopped her maundering, embarrassed, "Sorry. Anyway, you don't have to be sorry; you can't force your feelings."

Why was she consoling me? She should be the one consoled. Not me.

"Can I ask you just one thing?" She spoke up again.

"Of course."

"Why? I mean, did I do something for you not wanting to be with me? Was it because I was too forceful? I'm sorry, Juvia didn't want to be the clingy type of girl, but couldn't stop because Juvia just wanted to be with you and…–" I stopped her rambling by grapping her shoulders.

"It's really not your fault. You did nothing wrong. If I really didn't like how you acted, I would've told you. Truthfully, I got used to it and didn't really mind anymore. So stop blaming yourself."

She nodded calmly while looking at me. I released her shoulders.

"Do you…" She started, uncertain. "Do you love someone else?"

I froze, agape. I couldn't bring myself to answer. I couldn't possibly tell her I loved the one she considered her love rival just after rejecting her.

She smiled in understanding, and quietly spoke up. "It's her, isn't it?" We both knew exactly who she was talking about.

I merely looked down.

"You know, even if I don't act like I do, I still like her; she's also my comrade after all. So I won't start any more fights with her because of you. Well, as long as she doesn't hurt my precious Gray-sama, anyway. You've made up your mind after all; I can't do anything about it anymore."

I nodded, not knowing what else to do. I couldn't believe she was being so mature about it. Five minutes ago she was crying her heart out, and now she seemed totally balanced. She had every right to yell at me, to punch me, to do anything; but she didn't. She really was a wonderful girl.

She went on, "You know, I claimed she was my love rival only because I thought she was the only one who could snatch you away from me. I would have been a lot angrier if it was someone I wouldn't even have thought about." I smiled a little. "Come on, let's join the rest!" She declared happily, acting like nothing happened. I nodded, and followed her inside the guild.

Before we entered, I told her quietly "You're really a wonderful girl, Juvia. I'm sure you'll find the one right for you soon."

She smiled, and replied, "Of course, Juvia is very popular, you know? Juvia hasn't anyone in her life only because Juvia was devoted to Gray-sama. Now, Juvia will move on." I smiled genuinely, and we finally joined our friends.

_Here's the end of the flashback._

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In the end, it didn't go as bad as I thought it would, and I'm really thankful for that. Plus, since we had this talk, we strangely became closer than before.

At first, she'd go teary every time she saw me and so started to totally avoid me, which I completely understood. A few days later, she went on a mission. When she came back a week later, she came to talk to me as if she'd never been interested in me. She seemed to have moved on. She also stopped daydreaming out loud about us, and stopped calling me Gray-sama. She called me Gray-san, but I told her to just call me Gray, since we were friends. She'd been really happy with that.

And before I knew it, I hung out with her a lot. As friends, of course; my feelings hadn't changed. She was really fun to be with once she wasn't on worshipping mode. Plus, since I now felt awkward around Lucy, I hung out less with our little group, and found myself talking more with Juvia, because being around her wasn't tiring. I'm really glad we can be like that.

Of course, the other guild members noticed something had changed between us. First, they blamed me for Juvia's being sad and not talking, and they had every right to. Erza had wanted to beat the crap out of me, but restrained herself since I'd only followed her advice. Then, they thought I'd finally "come to my senses", as they put it, and realized my feelings for her and that we started dating, because we were constantly seen together. We spent a whole afternoon explaining to them it wasn't like that, until they finally got the hint. While explaining, I automatically searched for Lucy in the room in order to see her reaction, but she only looked amused by the situation, and a little exasperated by our comrades. She didn't seem to care about me dating Juvia or not. Not that I expected her to. I knew she didn't care about me in that way.

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"Hey, Gray!" Lucy said cheerfully as she sat next to me at the bar.

I managed not to stiffen at the sound of her voice. I'm glad I finally stopped doing this, and was starting to become more like my true self around her again. "Hey, Lucy. How you doin'?"

Her cheerful face turned into an annoyed one. "Oh, don't mention it. Natsu dragged me into another crazy mission, and ended up destroying everything, of course. Why do I even keep going with him?" She complained while resting her head of the bar counter. Since the end of the games, we were very popular again and had a lot of requests.

I chuckled at her antics. "Don't ask me, I've never understood why you ever did." I took a sip of my drink.

"Probably the same reason we go on mission together with our group." She replied, smirking.

"Probably, yeah." I chuckled again. She was right, our group was crazy, and I didn't claim I wasn't either. A good part of the destroying was done by me when we went on mission. "I guess it's more fun than doing it alone."

"Well, at least we _never_ get bored." We laughed knowingly. It was good to be able to be like that with her again. I kinda missed her.

After she asked Mirajane for the usual, she spoke up again, "By the way, where's Juvia?"

"Juvia? I think she's on a mission with Gajeel, why?"

"Oh, just because you seem to be together a lot these days. So I wondered why she wasn't there." She asked with genuine curiosity.

"Oh, right." I was a bit disappointed there wasn't even a hint of jealousy in her voice. Sure, I knew she didn't like me back, but you can't blame me for hoping a little.

"Is something wrong? Did you two fight?" She asked me, worried.

"Uh no, not at all, why?"

"It's just the way you answered; you seemed a bit down you know. But if everything's good, I'm glad!" She assured me. I chuckled. I realized I did that a lot while around her.

"Don't worry, everything's fine." I assured her.

After a few seconds of silence, she said, "It had been a while, you know."

"What?" I didn't understand.

"You and me, talking like that, just the two of us." She clarified.

"Oh. Right."

"I know you've been closer to Juvia and all, but I can't help thinking you're avoiding our group. You aren't, are you? I am only being totally paranoid, right? We didn't do anything you're mad about, uh?" She rambled.

"Oi, stop freaking out!" I held up my hands in order to calm her down, smiling. So she noticed, and thought about it, and was worried about me. "I'm not mad at anyone, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Yokataa." She replied, genuinely relieved.

I was about to speak up when two voices called from behind. "Lucy!"

"Natsu, Happy. Hey!"

They were now next to us. I rest my head on my hand, and said, "I'm here too, you know."

"Yeah, but we don't really care about you, Ice Brain." He provoked me.

I immediately stood up, "I don't care about you either, Ash Brain. But there's something called manners, you know."

"Well, 't seems I lack them, then."

"You do realize that it was my point, right? I knew you were stupid but not that much." We were forehead against forehead, ready to start a fight.

"Come on guys, calm down a bit." I heard Lucy plead.

And something weird happened; I calmed down. "Alright. After all, it's too early in the morning to deal with an idiot like you."

I saw Lucy and Happy looking at me with big-opened eyes. I must admit, it really was weird of me to do that. I mean, the only times I suddenly stop fighting with Natsu are when Erza threaten us. It was a mere survival instinct. But I'd never listened to Lucy before. So what, now that I knew I loved her meant that I'd become her puppet? Ugh, this was annoying.

"What did you say?" Natsu, on the other way, was still fired up. Literally.

"Come on, stop it. Being angry alone makes you look like a fool." I remarked boringly.

"Gray? Are you alright? Are you sick or something?" Lucy was now resting the back of her hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever, though."

"I'm fine, Lucy. And do you really think an _Ice_ mage would have a fever?" I mocked.

"Well, we never know, do we?" She answered, looking embarrassed.

"I never did, at least. So, stop worrying." I wanted to pat her head, like I normally would have, but I restrained myself. I'd become tomato red if I did that then, and I did not want that to happen in front of Happy and that burning idiot.

"But, Gray. You did stop arguing with Natsu before fighting, and without Erza around." Happy commented.

"Yeah, and it can't be because of me, you've never listened to me, no matter how many times I tried." Lucy added.

I tried to hide my embarrassment and replied casually, "Like I said, it's still early, and I feel lazy today, and it takes too much energy to fight with him." I sat down to prove my point.

Happy and Lucy eyed me suspiciously but decided to let it go. Thank god.

Lucy then turned to Natsu, who still looked pissed. I smirked. Not fighting was actually the best way to piss him off. "See, you should act like that too. Gray's been the better man here. Even if it's for a weird reason, he was. Now, calm down."

Hearing her saying this made me feel good. Maybe I should listen to her more often.

"Pff. It's just because it's not fun if he's not into it too." Natsu sat down and crossed his arms, pouting. He was such a kid.

When he finally decided to move on, that idiot spoke up again, "By the way, Juvia isn't there? I thought you were all buddy buddy now."

"I may spend more time with Juvia these days, but that doesn't mean we're glued to each other, you know." I replied, annoyed.

"She's on a mission with Gajeel." Lucy answered for me, while Happy flew in front of me, saying "You liiiiiiike her."

"I. Do. Not. Come on, I thought we were finished with that since like a week."

"Gray, your clothes." Mirajane who walked by warned me.

I looked down, "What? When did I..." Seriously, not the best moment to strip, buddy. Yeah, I talk to myself, problem?

"See. As soon as we talk about her, you strip. It's a sign!" The ash hole mocked.

"A sign that you liiiiiike her." Happy added.

"I told you I didn't! A sign, my butt. Like if I stripped only if I like someone."

"You're right. Sorry. You're not in love with Juvia. You're just a real pervert." I nodded; he'd finally got the point. Wait, what?

"Say that again!" I dared him.

"Fine. You're a pervert." He dared.

We then fought. Seems like it was inevitable.

"Guys! Please, stop it! Mou, I don't care anymore." I heard Lucy complaining. This time, it didn't stop me. I guess some things will never change.

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**A/N:** I hope Juvia's reaction was believable. I almost made her go to Lucy screaming at her it was all her fault etc. but I wanted to make her a little more mature. Every character has the right to be serious once in a while, and that was her time to be. I still made her overreact at first, because, well, it's Juvia. And Juvia without overreacting isn't Juvia. That's why we love her, isn't it? x)


	3. What about her?

**Chapter 3: What about her?**

A couple of days later, Juvia had returned from her mission. We were hanging out in the guild.

"So, how did your mission go?"

Juvia sighed. "The mission was simple, but Juvia found it tiring."

"What happened?"

"While Gajeel had left Juvia to do who knows what, Lyon-san showed up. Apparently, Gajeel betrayed Juvia and told Lyon-san that "he still had a shot" with Juvia. Then, he wouldn't leave Juvia alone during the whole trip." She complained.

"Well, he does have taken a liking for you, you know." I commented, smiling.

"Juvia knows that, but… but…" Her cheeks reddened.

"Come on, I was teasing you." I reassured her.

"Gray is mean to Juvia. Juvia doesn't like being teased." She was now pouting. I couldn't help laughing. "Gray! Don't laugh at Juvia! It's not funny!" That just made me laugh harder.

Once I calmed down a bit, I told her, "That's crazy how fun you can be without even knowing it." I still had a smile on my face.

"Juvia is funny!" She assured me, looking really proud of herself. I couldn't take it anymore. She had such a serious expression while saying that. I was laughing again, nearly tearing up.

"Juvia thinks you're really crazy." I heard her tell me, but still didn't stop laughing.

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Me, Natsu and Happy entered the guild together and went to sit around a table.

"I'm so tiiired." I exclaimed while resting my head on the table.

"You should have slept more." Natsu replied matter-of-factly.

"Whose fault is it that I didn't sleep, again?" I complained.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah right. You didn't invade my house in the middle of the night, making a monstrous ruckus. And then, you didn't steal my bed and didn't make me sleep on the floor. You're unbelievable! Don't come to my house anymore!"

"But your house is so comfy!" Natsu pouted.

"Right, and it smells good, too. It smells like fish." Happy added.

"It doesn't smell like fish! It smells good, good. Not fish!" I argued.

"But fish is good." He was now drooling.

"Fish doesn't smell good. Wait, why am I even having this argument with Happy?" I asked myself out loud. "Anyway, I'm serious; don't come to my house anymore."

Natsu and Happy made their best puppy eyes. Ugh, they were good at it. "Fine. You can come to my house." They instantly had a huge smile on their faces. "BUT only in a week. No party at Lucy's for a week. That's your punishment."

They were about to complain when they heard a loud laugh coming from the bar. We looked towards the origin of the sound. It was Gray.

"Oi, Ice Brain, stop being so loud!" Natsu screamed. And just like that, they were fighting. Happy was cheering for Natsu, the others were mostly sighing, and Juvia was trying to stop them; not really succeeding, though.

"They're so cute together." Mirajane remarked as she appeared next to me; I hadn't moved from my seat.

"Gray and Natsu? Wouldn't have used that word." I replied, dumbfounded. She had some weird ideas sometimes.

"Gray and Juvia." The Take-Over Mage clarified.

"Oh, right." I replied without much conviction, while watching the scene from my seat. I knew Mira was already making up a romance story between them in her head, and I didn't want to get involved in this.

"You won't try to stop them?" Mirajane asked her after a few seconds.

"It's useless. And I'm sleepy, so I don't want to waste my energy for nothing. Besides, Juvia is already trying, that should be enough."

"Ara, did I hear a hint of jealousy?" The model teased.

"What are you talking about? As if I would be jealous because of that. I'm actually thankful she's doing this for me, so I can rest a little."

"If you say so…" Mira said with a glint in her eyes before leaving me alone.

"What's with her tone? What was she implying?" I wondered out loud. But I decided to let it go and rest my head again on the table. Sometimes, it's better not to know what Mira is up to.

Me? Jealous of Juvia? Why would I be? While she's arguing with those two idiots, I'm resting. Why should I always be the one trying to stop them, anyway?

I looked up to see if the fight was over. It was. Obviously, Erza had popped up; Natsu and Gray were both on the floor. Happy helped Natsu up and Juvia helped Gray up. Gray smiled at her, thankful. Erza was in the middle lecturing the two mages. I decided to go greet her.

"Hey, Erza! How are you doing?"

"Lucy, good afternoon. I'm doing just fine, thanks for asking." Erza stopped her lecture to answer me. But she continued it right after, "Anyway, how many times do I have to say that to you?"

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault." Juvia suddenly apologized.

"How could it be your fault? These two idiots fight like they breathe." Erza reassured her.

"But if Gray hadn't laughed because of Juvia, then Natsu wouldn't have been angry, and…"

"Stop it. Don't apologize for this idiot. You did nothing wrong." Gray told her, gently patting her head.

Juvia smiled at him and nodded.

"Who's the idiot, huh?" Natsu shouted angrily, but calmed down as soon as Erza looked at him.

"Well, since everything's settled, let's all sit down around a table, ne?" I suggested.

The others agreed enthusiastically. Everyone was now laughing together. But I wasn't really listening to them.

"Hey, are you ok?" Gray – who was seating next to me – quietly asked me.

"Hm, I'm fine. A little tired, I guess." I replied. Gray nodded and let it go.

To tell the truth, even if I was tired, there was something else. I don't really know why, but I felt somewhat weird.

xxxxx

At the end of the day, I was on my way home. I was walking on the riverside with Plue.

I was thinking about what happened earlier. I felt kind of… annoyed? Yeah, something like this. But why?

So, I went to the guild with Natsu and Happy, Natsu fought with Gray, Erza stopped and lectured them, I greeted Erza, Erza continued lecturing Gray and Natsu, Juvia apologized, Gray patted her head…

I suddenly stopped as I felt weird again. "Is _this_ what annoyed me?" I asked myself out loud. I then remembered what Mirajane had told me just a few minutes before that happened. _"Did I hear a hint of jealousy?"_

"Lucy-chan, that's dangerous!"

"Hai, hai!"

Was that it? Was I jealous of Juvia? But, why? I'm not in love with Gray or anything. He's just a very good friend to me, right? One of my best friends. Nothing less, nothing more. Plus, I know there's strictly nothing going on between them. A few months ago, I could have believed they'd eventually become a couple, but now I'd find it hard to believe. I think Gray finally cleared things up with her. So, why would I be annoyed to see him be that close with her?

It's true I once was the only girl whom he would pat the head. I liked that. Having some special treatment.

But he now doesn't do anything like that anymore. He basically avoids any physical contact with me. Not that I paid a lot of attention to this; it did take me weeks to realize that after all.

He doesn't pat my head anymore, he doesn't put his arm around me anymore, he doesn't even elbow me or anything like that anymore. I wonder why. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, like when I thought he was mad at our group (which came with that realization, too). He probably hasn't realized this himself.

I miss all of this. All those little moments of complicity with him. Without those, I can't feel we are best friends anymore. And we hang out less and less together, which definitely doesn't help.

That's it. I envy Juvia's friendship with Gray. Because I used to be in her shoes. I'm not annoyed because of her being close to him, I'm annoyed because of him being distant with me for the past few weeks.

"I'm acting like a spoiled kid, aren't I Plue?" I asked my Spirit.

"Pun, pun."

"You're totally right. Come on, let's go home."

xxxxx

I stopped before opening the door. I didn't really want to go home. I'd be alone in there. Natsu and Happy weren't allowed to come for a week, and Erza went on a mission after meeting with us. And Gray, he simply didn't show up anymore. Truthfully, my little apartment's way too calm without any of them.

I took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"Tadaima." I told no one, my eyes shut as I entered the room.

"Okaeri!" A voice replied enthusiastically.

I opened her eyes, surprised. The lights were already on, and a certain half-naked man was seating on my couch, grinning.

xxxxxxxxxx

"G-Gray? What are you doing here?" Lucy asked me, truly surprised.

"Since when do I need a reason to be here? I was just bored and thought 'Hey, let's go to Lucy's!'" Actually, she seemed off this afternoon, so I wanted to check on her.

She whispered something, but I only heard "seems like" "really busy" "few weeks".

"What did you say?" I asked her.

"Nothing, nothing." She answered hurriedly with a fake grin on her face.

"Nothing, my ass." I said to myself. I always know when she's lying, and right now, she was. Not that I'm boasting or anything, you don't have to be a genius to see she's lying. She's like the worst liar I've ever seen. Seriously, a sign saying "LIAR" on her forehead would be more subtle than her face and tone right now. But I decided to let it pass.

"I'm glad you're here." She suddenly said while grinning. Genuinely, this time.

My eyes widened, and I felt my face redden a little. I looked away, "I'm surprised. I thought you would throw me out, or at least yell at me."

"Truthfully, I felt a little lonely knowing nobody would come by tonight. Plus, it's been ages since you came, so I can't throw you out like that."

"So, you do like us hanging out here." I teased.

"Well, that doesn't mean you have to come every time and be a pain in the ass." She warned.

"Hey! Say that to Natsu and Erza. They always go through your stuff without asking."

"As if _you_ didn't. Who's read my novel without asking again?"

"By the way, I know Erza's on a mission, but why Natsu and Happy aren't here?" I quickly changed the subject.

"They're not allowed to come for a week." She automatically answered. "Hey! Don't ignore my question!" She shouted angrily.

"And they actually listened? That's surprising."

"I give up." I heard her say to herself. I have to admit it's hilarious to tease her like this. "It's only the first day; I don't expect them to hold on the whole week. I actually said a week to have at least two or three days to myself." She proudly explained to me.

"Good thinking, I admit."

"I know, right? After that long I know how to deal with them you know."

"Well, that's because they're simple-minded. They're basically animals who live by their instincts. So it's not difficult to understand them."

"Yeah, unlike some Ice Mage I know…"

"I take this as a compliment."

"You're pretty pretentious. I could be talking about Lyon, not you."

"As if." I looked at her knowingly.

"You're right." She slightly bowed her head.

"You're pretty simple to understand too, you know." I smirked.

"HEY! Are you implying I'm simple-minded?"

"Not at all. You're just naturally honest and open about your feelings. That's why you can't hide them. Sometimes, I envy you for that."

Her expression changed as she quietly replied, "Gray…"

"Aaaah, I'm starting to feel sleepy." I stretched out. "But first, a bath." I rushed into her bathroom.

"Hey! Don't use someone else's bathroom like that!" I heard her shout behind the door. "Make it quick, I'm really tired and I have to take one too before going to bed."

"If you really want to gain some time, wanna join me?" I couldn't resist but tease her.

"NO THANKS!" I chuckled. Looks like it worked, she sounded really flustered. The only problem is that my joke worked on me too. Damned imagination.

After some time, I heard her say rather loudly, "Plue. You know, even though you're not the talkative type, it's good to express your feelings from time to time. Happiness, sadness, anger… Friends are here to listen to you. Open up a little, I'm sure they'd be happy if you did. I'd be happy if you did."

"Pun pun!" Her weird spirit replied.

"Goodnight, Plue."

I smiled. "Goodnight to you too, Lucy."

xxxxx

When I walked out of the bathroom, I found Lucy seating on the couch, but she was sleeping. I saw her shiver. I carried her to her bed and covered her. I was about to stand up when she suddenly spoke up, "Gray?"

"Yes?" Did I wake her up?

"You won't avoid me anymore, right?" She asked in a somewhat worried tone, her eyes still shut.

She noticed? I knew she noticed I hung out less with our group, but not with her specifically. "I wasn't–" I tried to explain, but she cut me off.

"Gray." Her eyes were now opened and looking at me.

I smiled tenderly, "I won't. I promise."

She nodded, and shut her eyes down again. I gently patted her head.

My heart skipped a beat when she put her hand on mine for a few seconds. She whispered something while smiling but I didn't catch on what. "Thanks." She then said with a smile. "Goodnight." She shut her eyes again and rolled a little to the right.

"Goodnight."

So, she noticed. And was bothered by it. Then it came to me. Was it because of this she'd looked down this afternoon? Probably not, I've been like this since almost two months, why would she feel down now? Anyway, her words made me feel happy and guilty at the same time. Happy because she thought of me, and guilty because I made her sad. So, like I promised her, I won't avoid her anymore. Plus, it seems I'm becoming better at managing my feelings around her, so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

I'm glad I came tonight. I finally feel I can be normal around her again.


	4. The morning after

**Chapter 4: The morning after.**

I opened my eyes as I felt the sunshine's heat on my face. I stretched out, "Hm, feels like it's going to be a good day."

"Ah?" Someone replied with a yawn.

"Yeah" I started to answer, but then realized someone just talked to me, "Wait, who's here?" I looked around, "Gray? What are you doing here?" He was lying on the floor.

"Waking up, obviously. And you're not making it easy for me. Stop yelling, seriously." He stood up while scratching his head.

"I meant, what are you doing in my apartment at this hour?" I clarified.

"Well, I slept here." He replied matter-of-factly. "By the way, you should buy something for guests. Your armchair isn't comfortable at all; I had to sleep on the floor." Maybe I should, since most of the time it's me who ends up sleeping on the floor.

"It you're not happy, just go sleep at your place next time," I retorted. "Why didn't you do that in the first place, by the way?"

"After the bath, I didn't have enough energy to go home anymore. And I don't really get why you're complaining. I didn't bother you in any way. You're the one that woke me up while yelling."

"Well, sorry for bothering you." I replied sarcastically.

"No big deal, I was already half-awake anyway." He said condescendingly.

"I wasn't really sorry!" I yelled out of frustration. Then, his words sank in and I remembered something. "BATH!" I suddenly shouted.

"Bath?" He looked confused.

"I fell asleep and forgot to take one yesterday." I explained. I took my things and went to the bathroom. I stopped before closing the door and pointed at him, "And you, go out of my apartment." I slammed the door.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." I heard him state.

"And whose fault is that, huh? You intruding stripper." I whispered angrily to myself.Well, at least, he'd had the decency of keeping his underwear on.

As I was in the bathtub, I tried to remember what exactly happened last night. I clearly remembered that, when I fell asleep, I was waiting for Gray to come out of the bathroom, and so I was on my armchair. How did I end up in my bed? I thought hard. My eyes widened as the memories came back.

Sensing Gray carrying me and covering me but not moving one bit. Asking him not to avoid me anymore. His promise. Gray patting my head. My hand on his. "_I missed that._" I suddenly felt my cheeks redden. I hope he didn't hear that one. It seemed like he didn't.

Seriously, what was I thinking when I asked him this? And when I put my hand on his? I didn't think; that's the problem. I was barely conscious. Oh, that was embarrassing.

No matter how I look at it, it seemed like a scene that could be in like any romance story you can find. What if he now thinks I like him? Which is completely not true. I missed him as a friend, that's all. It was just a reflex to grasp his hand. It's not like I was acting weird or anything, right? He won't think I'm weird, will he?

I cursed at myself. Just when things between us seemed to become normal again. I hope it doesn't get awkward because of this.

Well, he didn't seem to mind just a few minutes ago. I must be overthinking things. Or, he also didn't remember because he wasn't fully awake either.

Stop it, Lucy. There's nothing to worry about. He won't feel awkward around you because of this. It's not like you confessed your love to him or anything. Love that you don't feel, by the way. He's just a friend.

Ugh. The more I think about it, the more I feel my cheeks burning. And it's not because of the hotness of the water.

Come on! You have to stop thinking about it. It'll only make it worse.

"Mou, I don't care anymore!" I shouted out of frustration as I immersed my head inside the water.

xxxxx

When I was finished, I wrapped a towel around me and went out of the bathroom. Gray was still here, casually sitting on my armchair.

"Ah, you're finally done. I was starting to get bored." He told me.

"Then you should have left, just like I told you." I retorted. This guy was really starting to get on my nerves. Suddenly, I smelled something good. "What's this good smell?"

"Oh? I hope the taste's also good." Gray looked at a plate which was on my table.

"You made breakfast? Thank you so much!" My mood suddenly went up, and I grinned as I sat on a chair, ready to eat.

"I told you I was bored. Plus it's not a big deal, it's just pancakes." He replied while looking away as he sat across me.

I took a bite. "Hm, they're good!"

"So, you don't want to throw me out anymore?" He smirked in victory.

"Well, not now, anyway." I admitted. "I have to recognize that you're not loud and annoying like Natsu and Happy are when they stay the night. And you're a little useful, so…"

"Of course. Unlike them, I do have manners."

"You do lack some, though. Seriously, wear some clothes." I remarked.

"Like you can talk." He said with a smirk.

I looked down, and realized I was still wearing only a towel. "Aaah! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I thought you didn't mind, it's your place after all. And I certainly didn't, either."

"I mind! You pervert!" I yelled, nearly throwing him a pancake in the face. But I restrained myself; they were too good to be wasted like this. "I'll go change. And put some clothes on, too."

I went back after putting a shirt and a skirt on. Gray was still sitting at the table, eating, as if he hadn't moved at all. But he now had his clothes on.

I sat and continued eating. While chewing my food, I looked at him. _Things aren't awkward at all, after all. I'm glad. I really was overthinking things._

He then looked up and asked, "What?"

"Nothing." I answered maybe too quickly.

"You were staring at me." He stated.

"I wasn't!" I refuted.

"You were. It was kind of creepy, actually."

"I wasn't. You just happen to be in front of me, and the only thing moving in this room. So, of course, my eyes went on you." I ranted.

He looked at me for a few seconds before replying, "So, you _were_ staring."

"Looking. Not staring." I corrected.

"If you say so." He didn't seem convinced at all.

"Just… Finish your pancakes! We're gonna be late."

"You know we can go to the guild whenever we want, right?"

"Yeah, but… I want to be there soon!" Why am I such a bad liar?

"… Okay." He gave up.

xxxxxxxxxx

I felt proud of myself. It truly wasn't awkward anymore between Lucy and me. I could totally think straight and act normal again around her. Even though it was a little hard this morning. Damn she looks good in just a towel. Thankfully, I'd already seen her like this before, so I wasn't taken aback.

And why did she have to look at me for so long while we were eating? I had to try so hard not to look affected by it. I think I did a pretty good job, though. She seemed a lot more embarrassed than me. I smiled at the thought. It was so fun to see her like that.

"Why are you smiling?" She suddenly asked me.

"I remembered how embarrassed you looked this morning. It was really fun." I replied truthfully, but I don't think she took me seriously.

"Come on, stop teasing me already." She pouted.

We arrived at the guild.

"Ara, Lucy and Gray coming here together this early in the morning, it's a rare sight." Mirajane declared loudly as she saw us at the entrance.

"There's something going on between them!" Happy flew in front of us, rolling his tongue as always.

"Shut up, stupid cat." I said straight to him.

"Natsuuu! Gray is mean!" He went to cry in Natsu's arms as we sat next to them.

"Oi, Lucy. Don't tell me you really came together?" Natsu asked her.

"We did, so what?" She replied, really not understanding why he was acting like this.

"Huh? Why would you meet up with him alone before going here? Are you hiding something from us?" He nearly accused us.

"We didn't meet up before going here. And, no! Why would you think that?"

"But, if you didn't meet up, how come you were together? You don't live in the same area at all." He seemed to think hard. Too hard for him, probably.

"Could it be… that you were already together before going out?" Happy gasped.

I suddenly felt all the guild's eyes on us.

"Oi, good job, Gray!"

"Looks like Lucy's finally found herself a boyfriend!"

"Guys, stop it! It's not like that!" Lucy shouted to everyone. Her cheeks were a little red. "And what do you mean by 'finally'?"

Then, she turned to look at Natsu again. "Yeah, he was at my place. What do you make such a big deal out of this, seriously?" Lucy answered without blinking. "You come all the time, and nobody finds it weird."

"But, but, but…" Natsu started to cry, "Why that stripper can come while we can't? I thought we were best friends, Lucy. You're mean."

"Really mean!" Happy added while crying too.

"I told you you weren't allowed to come for a week because you're too annoying." Lucy calmly explained. I nodded in approval.

"And he's not?" He retorted pointing at me.

"No, he isn't."

I couldn't resist to shout proudly, "HA! Take that in the face, flame-brain."

"What did you say, ice-brain?"

And then, we were fighting.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Ne, Lucy. You can tell me. Are you and Gray getting it on?" Cana asked me not so confidentially.

"What? NO!" Cana and her weird ideas… I looked around if someone heard us, but they were either minding their own business or watching Natsu and Gray fight.

"Then why are you blushing?" She smiled knowingly.

"Because your question itself is embarrassing." I looked down.

"Oh, come on. We're not little girls anymore." She elbowed me and laughed loudly.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Okay okay, I'll stop. But if you need any advice, you know where to find me." She winked at me before going back to her drinking.

xxxxx

A little later, Erza came and cut short their fight. We were now all seating around a table.

"Gray! Everyone! Good morning!" Juvia greeted us as she sat with us.

"Hello, Juvia." We answered back.

"Sorry to be late. I took a bath and immerged myself in it without noticing again…"

"Seems inevitable for a Water Mage I guess…" I replied, remembering how it also happened at the 24-Hour Endurance Road Race.

"At least you have a good reason to stay this long in the bathtub, unlike some other girl I know." Gray remarked while eyeing me.

"You're supposed to take your time for a bath for it to be relaxing." I argued.

"Then I guess yours was reaaaally relaxing."

"Because I was reaaaally unrelaxed, thanks to some guy I know." I retorted.

"Wait, wait. Why are they talking about Lucy bathing?" Juvia panicked a little.

"You see, Gray and Lucy spent the night together." Happy quickly answered.

"Oh, I see…" She replied, nodding. Then, her eyes widened, "Wait, what?" Her face became red potato, and she added while looking down and playing with her fingers, "Juvia didn't know you were already like this…"

"Happy! Don't make it sound like this." I looked at Juvia, "It's really not like that. He just stayed over." Then I realized what she just said, "And what do you mean by 'already like this'?"

She didn't seem to listen to me, and went on, "Juvia had already given up on Gray and was ready to welcome his relationship with Lucy-san, but Juvia wasn't prepared for such news. It's embarrassing." She hid her face with her hands, all fidgety.

"Did you hear me? It's not like that! You don't have to welcome anything!" Guess her imagination didn't change. And why would it be embarrassing for _her_?

"You're not in a relationship yet?" She blinked at me, dumbfounded.

"No. And don't add 'yet'!"

"Lucy, you're blushing!" Happy pointed out.

"Come on, enough already with this crap. We aren't together. Understood?" Gray finally spoke up. He seemed even more frustrated than I was. I don't know why, though. Maybe because he held it in the whole time.

Nobody said a word about us after that. Not even Erza. But that was probably because she was only paying attention to her cake. I don't even think she heard the whole conversation.


	5. Together in the dark

Since I restarted school, it'll probably take more time for me to update new chapters, but I'll try not to make you wait for too long.

Anyway, here's the new one. I hope you'll like it. :)

xxxxx

* * *

xxxxx

**Chapter 5: Together in the dark**

"Eeeeeh? A job with Lyon? Why?" I practically yelled in the guild. Why would I help that guy?

"Well… Lyon insisted that Juvia helps him on his mission, and he wouldn't leave me alone until I said yes. I didn't want to go, but since last time he helped Gajeel-kun and me on our mission, I owed him one."

"I get it, but why should _I_ go with you? Ask Gajeel, he owes him one too, doesn't he?"

"Gajeel-kun is already on a mission. And Juvia doesn't want to be alone why Lyon-san. Plus, it's really well-paid."

"No matter how much it's paid, I won't go." I was firm about it.

"Even for 400 000 jewels?"

"I'll go!" I immediately surrendered.

"400 000 jewels, you said? What kind of mission is it?" Natsu suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"Something about finding a doll. It's been addressed to our guild, too. That's why we can cooperate with Lyon-san." Juvia explained.

"Here's the request they're talking about." Mira handed the paper to Natsu.

"Eeh, that much money just for finding a doll. Yosh, I'm in too! Happy, Lucy, let's go!"

"Hai, sir!"

"Well, I do need money for my rent. Plus it doesn't seem too hard. I'm in, too."

"I'll go too." Erza joined in.

"Eeeh? Juvia just needed Gray, you know…"

"Don't worry, we're glad to help." Erza assured her.

"Yeah, but…" She looked a little uneasy.

"Yosh, let's go!" Natsu shouted with his fist in the air.

xxxxx

And like that, we all went on that mission. I shouldn't complain, at least I wouldn't be alone with Juvia and Lyon. And I kinda got used to go with our usual team. Well, without Wendy this time, since she was out to see Chelia.

We were in the train. Juvia was setting next to me, Lucy was facing me, and Erza was beside her. And Natsu was lying on another couch, sick as always, while Happy was trying to cheer him up.

"By the way, isn't it weird to offer that much money just for a doll?" Lucy asked.

"Lyon-san didn't tell me more details, and there wasn't more information on the request, either." Juvia replied.

"Maybe it's some rich family for whom it doesn't seem much." I hypothesized, not really worrying.

"It does seem tricky. We should be on our guard." Erza recommended.

"What if the doll is cursed?" Lucy shivered.

"Eh, you're scared, Lucy?" I teased her.

"N… Not at all. I mean, we saw a lot more than a cursed doll. What would I be afraid of that?" She was really a bad liar.

"Lucy is totally a scaredy-cat." Happy mocked her.

"Why is a _cat_ telling me this?" She complained.

xxxxx

We finally met up with Lyon who was waiting at the train station. He grinned when he saw Juvia, but then looked disappointed when he noticed us following her.

"Why are you guys here? It was supposed to be just me and Juvia."

"Well, hello to you too, Lyon." I retorted sarcastically.

"We came to give a hand." Erza seriously answered his question.

"We came for the jewels." Natsu and Happy grinned.

"I just followed the flow, I guess." Lucy said while looking kind of sorry for him. As if we should be sorry for that guy. If he didn't want us to go, he should have asked his own guild members, not one of ours.

"But, but… I wanted to be alone with Juvia. This mission was perfect for us." He started to pout.

I took a look at Juvia. She was blushing. I smiled. Interested or not, his remarks had always some impact on her.

"What do you mean by perfect for you? Do you know more about the mission?" Erza asked, totally ignoring the mood.

Lyon's face became serious. "Well, I contacted the client, and he explained to me that the doll we had to find was in a really old mansion of the village. Apparently, some kids took the doll from his daughter and threw it into a window of the mansion. That doll is really precious for his daughter, so he asked us to go get it back."

"That's all? We really just have to find a doll, and we even know where to look for it? I thought it would be harder than this with the price offered. And why didn't he do by himself?"

"People can enter only by pair of a man and a woman. And he didn't find anyone brave enough to go with him. That's what he told me, but I think he was afraid to go too."

"Why would people be afraid?"

"The thing is, the mansion is known to be haunted, and to be made as a labyrinth. They say people who come in never come out. Most people of the region knows it, and don't want to even approach it."

"Ha…Haunted you say?" Lucy was back to biting her nails and shivering.

"I'm sure it's just a mage or two playing tricks. I went there before you came, and the entry has runes on it. That's how they make people go by pair."

"Runes? We shouldn't let our guard down, then. There must be a lot of traps inside the mansion."

"Come on, enough talking. Let's go to that mansion. Mages or ghosts, I'll burn them up."

"How do you burn a ghost anyway?" Lucy asked him, somewhat not convinced.

"With fire." He answered matter-of-factly.

"That guy's idiocy doesn't have limits." I commented at loud, not believing he could say that with so much confidence. Even if I should be used to it by now.

"Anyway, he's got a point. We should stop talking and go to the mansion. We'll make a plan after seeing it from our eyes." Erza commended.

xxxxx

"Huge!" Natsu screamed as we arrived in front of the mansion.

"Creepy!" Happy added.

"Totally gives the feel of a haunted house." Lucy was hiding behind Natsu. "I don't want to go in! Why am I always dragged along in things like this?" She cried.

"How are we supposed to find a doll in this?" I wondered out loud. Seriously, it was even bigger than Lucy's former house.

"Don't forget the insides are like a labyrinth, too. It would be easy to get lost. Be careful." Erza advised us. "We'll have to split up in groups. We have to go by pair anyway. That way we'll cover more space and find the doll faster."

"I'll go with Juvia!"Lyon suddenly shouted, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Fine. Then I'll go with Natsu. Gray and Lucy will be the third group." Erza chose all by herself. For once, I didn't have a reason to contest her choice.

"Eeeh? It's not fine for Juvia!" Juvia cried.

"Why am I with Erza?" Natsu complained, but shut his mouth as soon as Erza gave him a menacing look.

"And again, I'm not included." Happy pouted.

"Don't fuss. It's decided. Let's go. Lyon and Juvia, go in first. If possible, wait for us at the entrance."

"Come on Juvia, let's go." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards the entrance.

"It's our turn, Natsu."

"I don't wanna gooo!" He screamed as he was being dragged by Erza, Happy following them closely. They entered, but Happy was stopped by the runes.

"Eeeh? I can't go?"

"It's only by pair. Seems like a cat doesn't make the exception." Lucy smirked. "Guess you'll have to wait for us here."

"But it's boring to wait." He pouted.

"Deal with it; you don't have a choice anyway. Come on, let's go Gray." She started to walk to the entrance.

"Don't worry. We'll wrap this up quickly, you won't have to wait too long." I told Happy with a confident smile before following her.

As soon as we passed through the door, it closed by itself. I tried to open it, but it was now locked.

"It seems like we have to find another exit." Juvia remarked.

"Hey, what happened to Happy?" Natsu asked us.

"He couldn't go in since it's only by pair." I explained.

"I don't like this atmosphere." Lucy shivered again, wrapping her arms around herself.

I looked around. It was dark. We could see only because of the light of a few candles on the walls. There were two doors and a big staircase.

"Three paths. Each group takes one." Erza instructed. "Natsu and I take the right door."

"Stop dragging me like some of your stuff!" He complained loudly as he was being dragged again.

"Then, we'll take the stairs, ok?" I looked at Lucy. She nodded.

"No. Juvia wants to go along with Gray and Lucy. We passed through the runes, now we can do whatever we want." She followed us on the stairs, but suddenly she was pushed back. "Eh, what happened?"

Runes appeared. "Already two people took this path. Choose another one." I read out loud. "Seems like this pairing thing goes on 'till the end."

"Then, we have to stay together until the end." Lyon grinned at Juvia.

"Why couldn't I go with Gray?" She cried again.

"Sorry Juvia. I'm sure it'll be ok." Lucy tried to cheer her up.

"Easy for you to say that. You're with Gray. It'll be like a romantic trip for you."

"Eh, you're together now?" Lyon asked with a surprised face.

"We're not!" Lucy strongly denied.

Juvia looked at her partner, "It's not official yet."

"Oh, I see." He nodded.

"That's not official because it's not true! Mou, I'm tired of this. Come on Gray, let's go." She grabbed my wrist and led us to the end of the stairs.

"See, you're already all lovey-dovey." We heard Juvia complain.

"Let's go, Juvia. If you're afraid, you can hold my hand or hide behind me. I'll protect you."

"That… won't happen." I couldn't see her face anymore, but I bet she was blushing.

"They're kind of cute, don't you think?" Lucy suddenly commented.

"Dunno. I just can't bring myself to describe _Lyon_ as cute."

She laughed lightly. "I understand."

xxxxx

We were silently walking for the past few minutes (I swear, this corridor is waay longer than it should be) when Lucy spoke up, "It's not as scary as I thought it would be." She did look more at ease than before. It must be because this corridor had more lights than the others.

"Maybe the exterior was just set to keep people away from the mansion. Something must be going on here."

"Let's just hope it's nothing too serious."

"Well, I wouldn't mind a little fight." I smiled at the thought. Truthfully, I was a little bored right now.

"As long as it's just usual bandits…" She was looking around, as if afraid that something would jump at her at any moment.

"What, are you afraid there are real ghosts here?" I teased her.

"N…Not at all! All we did since we came in was walk. There's nothing here." I think she was more trying to convince herself than anything.

"You're right. There's nothing you should be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid!" She strongly denied.

We arrived at the end of the corridor, where there were three doors. One light blue, one red, and one black.

"I think this is what people were talking about when they said it looked like a labyrinth. There are too many rooms. Which one should we take?" I asked her.

"Hm. The blue one. It seems like the most peaceful color."

"You know it could be a trap. Like the dangerous-looking path is in fact the safe one." I pointed out, but then added, "But, you're usually lucky, so I'll follow your choices."

"That's the thing I'm the best at," she proudly replied.

We opened the door, and were surprised at what we saw.

"Seriously, a lake? Just how big is this house?" Lucy asked, baffled. "There's something really weird about this mansion, I swear."

I nodded, and then noticed something, "Hey, there's a door at the other end."

"There's no way I'm swimming in this water, who knows what's in it."

"Don't worry, you won't have to swim." I assured her with a smile. "Ice Make: Floor!" The lake was now a skating rink.

She smiled, "Nice, Gray."

I smiled back, "Let's go, then." I took her hand to prevent her from falling and we skated towards the other doors. Again, there were three. One white, one grey, and one blue. "Which one?"

"Don't know. Let's go for the one you want."

"Then, let's continue with the blue one." We went through it, and suddenly found ourselves back in the corridor.

"What happened? Why are we back here?"

"Hey look up," I told her as I saw runes appearing. "Those who choose the wrong path will immediately be sent back to the starting point." I read out loud.

"Then, let's think about it before choosing one next time." Lucy concluded.

xxxxx

Some time later, we made it to the light blue door again and were standing again in front of the small lake.

"It should respond to some kind of logic. If not, they would have made three identical doors. Plus, it this is all a game, and we're the players, we should have some clues to win this." Lucy remarked.

"You're right, let's look around it we can see something related to the doors." After a few seconds, I found something, "Look at the door knock. It's white. Maybe that means we should take the white door." I suggested.

"Let's try this."

I froze the water again, and we opened the white door. We found ourselves in another room.

"Looks like it worked." Lucy commented.

There was still water, but this time, a wooden bark was there. We couldn't see the end of the room this time. It was darker than before. There were some candles on the walls, and a lantern floating in the air in front of the bark.

"Apparently, we have to get on it." I said, pointing my chin at the little bark. It was merely enough for two people.

"I guess we don't have a choice." She agreed.

I hopped in the bark and extended my hand for Lucy. She took it and joined me on the bark, but as soon as she was on it, she lost her balance. She was about to fall into the water, but I pulled her towards me in order to stop her. She ended up falling on me.

Our faces were really close, and we stayed like this for a few seconds. She blinked, I blinked, and we realized the position we were in: Her right hand still holding mine was between our chests, her left one had found its way to my right shoulder, while my left arm was around her waist, and her legs were between mine. And, of course, I had somehow stripped before all of this happened. I think it was when I used my magic just before, but I wasn't sure.

My eyes subconsciously wandered on her lips, and I felt my cheeks becoming slightly red. I coughed loudly, and suddenly we were apart. She moved back to her seat which who facing mine, and I straightened up on my seat.

She was looking at her right when she said, "Hm, sorry about that."

"Don't worry, it's nothing." I couldn't look at her either. Damn, why did I have to become so self-conscious? We've had situations like this before, but I didn't really mind. I mean, when you're in the middle of a mission or a battle, you just think about how the other's doing, not how close your faces are, and how round their eyes are, and how soft their lips look… Oh god, I have to calm down.

Suddenly, the bark began to move. "Did you do something?" I asked Lucy.

"Nothing. It just moves on its own. Like that levitating lantern following us. It must be controlled by magic." She pointed out.

"Seriously, what's with this house?"

"Hey, isn't it getting darker?" Lucy wondered.

"It is. There are less and less candles around."

"I don't like that…" She seemed nervous. The only light source we had left was the lantern which moved along with the bark.

We heard some kind of creaking noise. It was becoming louder and louder, as if something was approaching us. Then, a pack of flying things attacked us.

"Aaaah!" Lucy shrieked.

"Lucy! Keep your head down!" I tried to look at her, but they were was all around us. It seemed like bats. "Seriously, this is getting really annoying," I mumbled before shouting, "Lucy, when I say 'now', lie down, okay?"

"H…Hai!" She managed to answer.

"Okay… Now!" I froze everything around me. It made a block of ice which I threw towards the door we had came from. "Finally it's quiet again." I looked down, Lucy was still lying down. "It's okay now."

She straightened up. "Good job, Gray," she smiled.

"As if some bats would win against us."

"Well, I couldn't do anything about it. I'm sorry, I feel like you're doing all the job since we came into the mansion."

"Hey, it's because you were taken aback. And don't worry, I didn't really do much, either. Plus, we're a team, remember?" I tried to cheer her up, smiling warmly at her. I really meant what I was saying. I knew I could count on her, too.

"Hai! I'll do my best from now on!" She declared, returning my smile. She then looked behind me, "Hey, it looks like we've arrived at the other end."

Before I could turn my head, the bark bumped against something. "You're right, we're there." There were three different doors again. One had a triangle on it, the other a square, and the third a circle.

"I'm getting tired of this 'choose the right door' thing. I didn't see any clue for this one."

"Well, there should be one around here." I looked around but saw nothing that could help us. "…Or not."

"I know!" Lucy suddenly shouted. She took her Fleuve d'Etoile out and caught the lantern which was still floating around with it, since it was too far for us to take it. She looked under it, "Look."

I did as she said, "A triangle. How did you think about this?"

"Well, the walls have nothing on it besides candles that we can't even see anymore, and the water is even darker than the walls, so it had to be on the bark or near it. It had to be a bit of a challenge, so they should have hidden the clue. That's why the lantern came to my mind. But it was just a lucky guess." She explained to me.

"Well done. I wouldn't have thought about it."

She smiled, "Come on, let's move on, then." We picked the door with the triangle on it.

"Come on, you've got to be kidding me. A freakin' forest, now?" This was getting more and more ridiculous.

"Look, there's even a full moon." Lucy pointed at the sky.

"But, we're in the middle of the afternoon."

"It's not the real one, it must be another set."

"You're right. Some mage must be behind this. But we should be careful, even if this is a set, what happens in it is real. Like the bats from before."

We then heard a loud howl. "A wolf?" Lucy wondered.

"It sounded like one." I noted.

Lucy gasped. "A wolf howling on a full moon. Don't tell me there's a _werewolf_ in there."

"We'll see. Let's walk first, we can't find that freakin' doll or even the exit by standing here." I instructed.

Lucy slowly nodded "You're right. Let's go."

We started walking into the forest, Lucy following me very closely, her hands as if ready to grab my arm as soon as something comes at us.

This mission wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after all.

xxxxx

* * *

xxxxx

**A/N:** On the next chapter, you'll also see what happens to the other teams. But don't worry, it will still have some GrayLu :3

Also, it's already the fifth chapter, so please tell me if I there are some big mistakes – or even little ones that just annoy you – that I often make.

And of course, reviews are always welcomed. I'd love to know what you think about the story so far, and if I should change something or not.


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